Jump to the good stuff: The Story | Some Thoughts | The Final Verdict
The Story:
Leviticus is a horror movie about two teenagers who undergo a supernatural conversion therapy after they’re outed as being gay.
After his father’s death, Naime (Joe Bird) and his mother, Arlene (Mia Wasikowska), move to a small, close-knit Christian community. Although Naime and Arlene attend church services, Naim isn’t fitting in. His only friend is Ryan (Stacy Clausen), who barley acknowledges him in public. However, when they’re alone, they form a secret romantic bond.
When Naime discovers Ryan kissing the pastor’s son, Hunter (Jeremy Blewitt), he becomes jealous and outs the two to Hunter’s parents. To purge them of their homosexuality, the church calls in a “deliverance healer” (Nicholas Hope) to perform a cleansing ritual. And with that ritual, the terror begins.
Some Thoughts:
If you’re looking for jump scares and gore, Leviticus is not the film for you. Its horror comes from a sense of dread, tension, and some excellent storytelling. While conversion therapy is central to the plot, it never becomes preachy or heavy handed. The focus stays on Naime and Ryan grappling with the horror thrust upon them by the people they should trust.
Writer/director Adrian Chiarella sticks to the basic horror plotline, open with a horrific event and have that terror continue with a new group of people. Chiarella keeps the ritual low key and ominous, even during the ritual to cleanse Hunter and Ryan. There are no outrageous robes or over the top chanting, just a nondescript older man saying a few words while holding a lighter. It’s simple and it works.
The fine cast of actors help drive the terror home. Bird, Clausen, and Blewitt give excellent performances. Their sense of confusion and desire for connection come through as they try to make sense of their situation. Add that with an excellently crafted story and you have a film that will satisfy most horror fans.
The Final Verdict:
Leviticus is a subtle horror that will go down as one of the finer films in the genre. It’s on par with classics like Don’t Look Now, The Changeling (1980), and It Follows. If you like mood and chills over jumps and thrills, this is for you.